Product Description

Adapted from the beloved Scholastic Book Series, Dear America, The Royal Diaries focuses on the diaries of three real princesses in three separate adventures. Each story is an accurate depiction about what life would have been like in the era covered by each story and as seen through the eyes of teenage girls. The Royal Diaries mixes the magic of storytelling with historical events, bringing these unique girls to life. Let these teen princesses surround you with the adventures, struggles and responsibilities of being part of a royal family while still being true to themselves.

Includes 3 Stories: Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor Isabel: Jewel of Castilla Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)

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8 reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

CuteOct. 19 2010

By
J. Destefano
- Published on Amazon.com

I was a big fan of the Dear American Diaries and the Royal Diaries when I was younger. This adaptation includes three short episodes: Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, and Isabelle of Castille. The acting really isn't bad, and neither are the story lines. The costumes and settings are quite believable, but the music score leaves something to be desired. I did wish accents were present in the Cleopatra episode. These are brief stories about girls who could not just be carefree teenagers, but had to face serious situations while still quite young. Perhaps these films would be useful for educational purposes--a theatrical glimpse of real historical figures.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Lighthearted look at historical figures.Nov. 29 2012

By
Mena P.
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

As a little girl, and a budding history buff to boot, I loved these books. They gave me my first look at people they hadn't yet even bothered to teach a ten year old. As an adult, I've now tried to gather as many as I can (at least about the historical figures I'm interested in) and in my quest I came across this. And while certainly cute, it's also a neat way for youngsters to learn about some of the most interesting women of the past.

Elizabeth: Red Rose Of The House Of Tudor is about Elizabeth I. It takes place during the later years of Henry's marriage to Catherine Parr, so all three of Henry's children are present. You get to see both Elizabeth's struggle for Henry's approval, as well as her rivalry with Mary, who while given a little moment of remorse, is mostly cast in a negative light. Something we don't get to see a lot of in tv and film is Elizabeth as a child, so this is a neat perspective to see. Also included, much to my history loving glee, is the scene where Catherine's arrest warrant is brought forward and Henry, despite his age, still lets out that fearsome Tudor roar. Anyone who knows their history knows that this actually happened.

Isabel: Jewel Of Castila focuses on Isabella de Castilla, the woman famous for ruling in her own right, creating the Spanish Inquisition, supporting Christopher Columbus, and giving birth to some very famous daughters. Here she is a curious young girl who, while on a little adventure away from the prying eyes of her brother, crosses paths with the man who would become her future husband, Ferdinand of Aragon. This tale, while dealing with some serious internal sturggles, is an interesting and sometimes cute look at Isabella's life. However, if this prompts you to want to buy the book, be warned. It is, in my opinion, terribly, terribly boring, and does no justice to this vastly fascinating woman.

Cleopatra: Daughter Of The Nile shows us the Cleopatra that most people are familiar with, the seventh of that name that became the lover of Marc Antony. Here, she is a girl on the run, the only person with any faith left in her drunken father. Most of the book is spent in Europe rather than Africa, where while Cleopatra is hoping for help, her father becomes not only a mockery of his former self, but accustomed to simply sitting around and biding his time. She has a close relationship to her favorite goddess, Isis, and often prays to her for help. The book is a bit darker than this adaptation (tackling things such as beheadings and what happened to Cleopatra's young "beloved" sister after our protaganist became queen), but this is still a darn good look at ancient Egypt for the younger crowd. The only thing that struck a bad chord with me is that Cleo's dear Arrow has been downgraded to a cat, rather than an elegant leopard.

I plan on raising my future children with a vast well of historical knowledge, and this movie will definitely be going in the dvd player on family movie night!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

The Royal DiariesJune 27 2012

By
89wilcox
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

My daughter loves these books so it was nice to see they had actually put some of them to film. She watched it again and again. It's a good image for young girls to learn from.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Great for any age.June 17 2014

By
southernlass
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

This is a fun DVD to watch. Seeing what life would have been like for these teenage Princesses is very interesting. I would definitely buy this DVD again.

DVD: The Royal DiariesMay 21 2013

By
Kathryn M. Swartz
- Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

I saw a preview on youtube.com about this video. It's very good. I especially like the story about Princess Elizabeth I. Thank you.